Ice Tsunami: What The Hell Is Happening In This Video?

Beachfront property makes for some pretty damn amazing views, whether it’s in the summer as the waves crash in, or in the winter, when everything is iced over. Except, of course, when the ice crawls up out of the water and goes on a murderous rampage against your house and family. Okay, maybe the ice isn’t actively seeking destruction and mayhem when it comes on land in a phenomenon known as an ice shove.

Ice shoves occur when strong winds or currents force the ice from the water’s surface to go on land. These events are also called “ice tsunamis” because of the way they come on land, but ice shoves are closer to icebergs than tsunamis in how they work.

The force from the ice shove can be powerful enough to knock over trees, houses, and docks that stand in its way.

Earlier this year, an ice shove occurred on the coast of Lake Winnebago, and Jim Morgenstern caught the event on film. In addition to piling up in the backyard shown in this video, ice also crept into the road, blocking the flow of traffic. Check it out here: